If you missed the first part of this series, you can find it here.

In this part, I'd like to move away from home defense and get to concealed carry. Many states make it fairly simple for Americans to carry concealed firearms. Is this a good thing that more people should take advantage of, or is it part of the problem?

Reasonable vs. Paranoid Concealed Carry

I said last time that I have no problem at all with those who keep guns in their homes for the purpose of defending their homes. I indicated that part of the reason I do this is that I have no confidence in the ability of law enforcement to reach my home quickly enough to be of use in the event of a break-in.

I feel that the same reasoning can be extended to concealed carry quite easily. If you are out in the middle of nowhere, you are not going to have any help dealing with a threat. And as unlikely as encountering such a threat might be, I see nothing wrong with being prepared.

But what about those who carry into crowded areas where this wouldn't apply? If one is in an unsafe area, it seems reasonable that the elevated threat would be the only argument one would need. But what if the threat is only elevated in the person's mind and not in reality? What if one has spent so much time watching gun shows on the Outdoor Channel sponsored by companies that sell firearms and ammunition that one is convinced that apocalyptic scenarios lie around every corner? Does it matter if paranoia is the main reason someone is carrying a gun?

Carrying at Political Rallies and Universities

And how about those who bring guns to political rallies, concealed or in the open? Knowing what we know about how tempers rise at these events, should this be tolerated? And if not, how would we possibly enforce it?

Should political rallies become as secure as courtrooms or airports? Are we going to reach the point where one should plan on being groped by TSA agents every time one enters public?

I work at a public university where it is illegal for me to bring a gun on campus. Should this law be changed, and if not, why do we treat universities so differently from anywhere else in public? If this law was changed, would I bring a gun to work? Honestly, I'm not sure.

Responsibilities

I think that law abiding citizens should have the right to carry concealed weapons, at least in some situations. But this does not mean that I think it should be as easy as it currently is for them to obtain a permit to do so. Background checks need to be far more sophisticated to be effective, and I wonder if some level of training shouldn't be required. Why not have a brief firearms safety course be a prerequisite to a getting a carry permit?

View Part III.

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